Day 47: Summer Solstice

Vela Luka, Croatia

I was on the evening shift today at the dive center. On my way back home around 9:30pm, I went pass a bunch of people sitting outside their house and watch their kids jumping through bonfire. I thought it was just some weird random fun to pass time for the Croatians.

It turned out that it’s a summer solstice celebration done since the pagan time. A wiki entry says:

In Croatia, midsummer is called Ivanje (Ivan being Croatian for John). It’s celebrated mostly in rural areas. Festivals celebrating Ivanje are held across the country. According to the tradition, bonfires (Ivanjski krijesovi) are built on the shores of lakes, near rivers or on the beaches for the young people to jump over the flames.

Ivana, Mikey’s Croatian girlfriend, told me it’s done 3 times in the summer and it’s meant to rid the evil spirits and bad luck.

I lent Andy my camera and he went out to take these pictures. I was too tired and lazy so I just nicked his photos: (The last one never fails to make me laugh, it’s insane looking!)

Croatian phrase of the day:

Sretno! = Good luck!